apple picking

#53 on my 101 things in 1001 days list is 'go apple picking'. it's something that i REALLY wanted to do. i remember last year searching for local places to pick apples but never found one. so, when we decided to check out pumpkin patches near a friends house that we would be visiting - i was estatic when i found a local orchard that offered PYO apples!!! i ran it by adam and he said 'let's do it!' so we got the kids and ourselves dressed - left a few hours earlier than expected and stopped by the orchard before visiting our friends! 
this place was AMAZING! no cost to get in - but there was the obvious cost of picking apples or pumpkins. you had to pay for your hay ride [$1 a person] to take you to either the pumpkin patch or orchard and then pay per pound for crop! we hopped on the tractor and headed to the orchard. we learned there we could get a small bag and pay per pound OR get a much larger bag - fill it to our hearts' desire - and pay the flat rate of $20. obviously, i opted for that!

we all enjoyed picking and eating apples. 
& here is a little something i learned ... i have always been allergic to apples. nothing serious, but my mouth/throat usually itch severely after eating one. i was even cutting apples a few weeks ago and must have touched my eyes after - and they began to swell, turn red and itch!  so, i was a tad nervous being in an orchard but i did pick an apple and take a bite. i didn't have ONE itch! people who know me personally and have seen my apple reaction - know this is a big deal! so, now i think i must be allergic to the preservative they put on 'grocery store apples'. makes me happy :) fresh is best, for real! ;)

after we picked our apples and walked around eating donuts, kettle corn and drinking an apple cider slushy ... we went to the petting zoo. they had some animals in pens but then had a section where some roamed free. we got to pet a donkey and a few goats. everything was going great until kullen saw a new goat and wanted to pet it. he went to pet it and it trotted away, so kullen went to turn around to come back to me. he lost his footing and fell face first into a puddle of mud :( then, as he tried to get up, fell again. he was completely covered in mud and guess who didn't have a change of clothes .... yup. 
so, after stripping and rinsing him down ... we showed up to our friends house with our 3 year old in nothing but undies and a hoodie. luckily, she has a son and found us some clothes! 

dolfins?

& here's where it goes down hill!

all in all .. it was a great day. we picked apples, pet some goats, fell in mud, visited with friends and made some great memories along the way! 

53. go apple picking